


The Waters Will Calm

by Violent_Pancakes



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mertalia, i tend to get sudden motivational spikes and yea h, lol expect sporadic af updates from this one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4017526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violent_Pancakes/pseuds/Violent_Pancakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every summer, the Italian merfolk tribe head to Scandinavian waters to set up a temporary residence, often among the small but sturdy Scandinavian merfolk tribe. Feliciano, with his older brother turning down leadership and his grandfather starting to pass away, is asked to lead them during the summer there. However, due to uncertain circumstances, his tribe is forbidden to go back when fall starts to settle in, and the normally warm-water suited group is put to their limits in the freezing waters. Feliciano himself has to deal with not only making sure that he, his family, and his tribe survives, while looking out for another merman in the neighboring territory.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Migration

I have to silently watch as Marcello sets Nonno down on the cave floor, whispering quiet words of encouragement to him. Lovino keeps the rest of the tribe back before swimming in with me by their side. I knew that letting him come on the migration with us was a horrible idea, but his authority does rule over mine--at least for now. I don't know how much time he has left before he does pass the lineage over to me. 

Marcello silently motions me over to Nonno's side, and I nod. "N-Nonno...? Tell me you can hear me, per favore..."

"I can hear you just fine, Feliciano. All of you." Nonno smiles, but unlike in the past, it doesn't put me at ease. It only reminds me of what's inevitable and in the near future. "I'm sorry for not staying back at the tribe like you asked me to. Maybe it's finally my time."

"Come on, don't say that! You've still got some years in you!" Lovino bursts into the conversation, his curl wrinkled and his green-gold eyes shining. My older brother, unwilling to take leadership after Nonno died, stating irresponsibility as the reason why he would be unfit. I realized far before now it was really because he would be too grief-stricken for years to even try to rule. Nonno coughs dryly, and that makes Lovino stiffen. "M-maybe only a year or two, but still...!"

"Lovino, please. You'll scream yourself to death." Nonno lets out a soft laugh, but none of us can really laugh along with him. "And the two of you," He turns to me and Marcello. "Stay out of trouble, okay? Your fratello will have enough to deal with after I'm gone."

"Nonno, you're bringing yourself down again. We'll at least make it to Scandinavian waters before you die. Come on, you can make it!" Marcello tries to hoist Nonno up and swimming again, but I have to place a hand on his chest.

"Marcello, we stopped for a reason. He can't swim anymore, but we can't leave him alone here to die and then be dug up by humans and..." I stiffen, biting my lip. The thought of Nonno, the great merman to rule the Italian merfolk for so long, far before any of us were born, to just be looked at by humans makes me want to vomit. "Either way, we have to stay with him here until he dies."

"I know, Feliciano, and I'm sorry. I'm going to delay the migration again, all because of my bones."

I look down, unsure of what to say. After all, the words I say could be the last ones he ever hears. What will he think of me then, if I say something stupid? Maybe he'll regret his decision of letting me rule, and pass the lineage onto Marcello. He's only fourteen, and he's far too young to be ruling an entire tribe of merfolk...

My thoughts are cut off by Lovino gripping onto my arm, and I have to stifle a yelp as his nails dig into my skin. So he really is saying goodbye this time, forever. Not just when he had to go on an important mission, or to discuss trades with other nearby tribes, but for real. He always came back those times, but death is irreversible. I only find out I'm crying when heat rushes to my cheeks, and I find myself wiping furiously at my eyes. I can't cry now, not when I know the people I have to lead are staring inside the cave, all their eyes set on the family that's led them for hundreds of years. If I'm an incompetent ruler, what are they going to do to me?

"Feliciano, it's okay to cry." Nonno reaches up and wipes with his thumb just below my eyes. "You're going to lead our people. I know, it's scary. It was downright terrifying for me when I had to take charge. But I know that you, along with your brothers, are going to do amazing things for us. Even if you do doubt yourself, I'm still here with you. With all of you." He turns to look at Lovino and Marcello, both of which are crying openly along with me. "You're all going to be okay. I promise."

"A-arrivederci, Nonno..." Marcello chokes out after too many moments of silence.

"Sì, we'll miss you, always." Lovino nods, running a hand through his coffee hair.

"Please stay safe, wherever you end up..." I chime in, trying to suppress a weak smile.

"Arrivederci to you too, Marcello. And I'll miss all of you too, Lovino. And I'll stay safe, Feliciano." Nonno smiles, holding out his arms. Thinking that it's a hug, I'm the first one to wrap his arms around him. My brothers soon do the same, and Nonno returns it. "I'm so proud of you, all of you. Even if you won't inherit the role, even if you turn it down, and even if you're not as good a leader as you thought you would be..."

A few moments later, I can feel Nonno's body turn cold. "We need to bury him. Before humans can get at him." I let go, taking the necklace that symbolizes leadership from Nonno and clasping it around my neck. 

"That's not our job, Feliciano." Lovino counters. "Let's let the citizens bury him. He's done so much for us and them, it's time for them to give back."

\- 

We have to keep moving. Even if we're late to our temporary camp, we have to move along. Nonno would want it best. On the border sea between the human country England and the rest of the land, we met a shy mermaid by the name of Madeline. She offered to take us the rest of the way, though we've never even seen her before. She's nice, but she's very shy and wary, especially around Lovino. Nevertheless, she doesn't turn out to be a traitor. She seems to know full well what tribe this is and where we're going. I wonder if she's a new part of the Scandinavian tribe. She definitely has the pale look and resistance to cold that they do, but her accent says otherwise. Maybe she's from one of the Northern Atlantic tribes.

"My condolences for your loss, Vargas family." Madeline eventually speaks when we're almost to our camp. "I've heard stories about your grandfather. He sounds like a very caring man for his people, and especially his grandsons."

I nod. "He is. I wish you could've met him. He would have accepted you like you're his daughter, except younger." She blinks, seeming confused. "A-ah, never mind. It's not important."

"It's okay. We're almost here anyway." Madeline turns to a small entrance, which seems like only two or three merfolk could fit through. "I'll go first. You and your brothers follow, okay?" I nod again, and she swims through the hole. I grab Marcello's arm and Lovino's wrist, pulling them through(despite Lovino's immediate annoyance).

And still, the camp and the neighboring Scandinavian tribe look the same as always. Just like a second home. 

Maybe the waters will eventually calm down in my mind, and I can settle here.


	2. Settlements and Successors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who finally updated hell yeah--

"Lukas, come on, the tribe's here!" Arne pulls on my arm, startling me and making me slap the end of my tail at his waist. "We gotta go meet Marcello and Feliciano and--"

"I know that they're here." I have to force his grip off of me. "I could hear the commotion from a thousand fin-lengths away. And Madeline came to inform us." Even if Arne is my friend, he can still be annoying in his obliviousness. But I suppose I shouldn't blame him, he did slam into a rock when he was little.

"Fiiine. But you're not going to come with?"

Come with? I haven't done that since Romulus lost his mate, and Emil wasn't even born yet. "Maybe, maybe not. Are they here now?"

"I think they're getting settled. They'll come out when they want to."

-

"Lovi, are you sure that you're going to turn down leadership? I mean, you're ten times more capable than I am..." I sigh, watching as Antonio, the main guard of our little tribe leads the merfolk into their new houses. "I think you could handle it well."

"Feliciano, that was the same reason I turned it down. I'd be too stressed out." Lovino sighs, glancing over at me. "Besides, the leaders of these waters is coming over to greet us. Did you forget? I can't introduce myself and our people like that...!" The fins on his arms stretch out, and he crosses his arms and turns away. "I'd be a horrible successor to Nonno."

"Okay...I'm sorry I asked."

Before I can say anything else, I can hear conchs being played. Why are they here already, though? We have had enough time to get everyone in their homes, but not to get settled...

Nevertheless, me and my brothers have to go out, since it's tradition that it's at least us that come to greet our neighbors. Though, with the usual four leaders, there's someone else that's holding the hand of the youngest there. They look like brothers, out of all of them.

It's strange, really...maybe they adopted a lost merman and took him in?

"Feliciano!" A rarely heard, but familiar voice and a tight hug brings me out of my thoughts. Tino, one of the younger leaders, has his arms wrapped around my shoulders, his purple-colored tail swishing. For something that happens practically every day I'm here, I should be used to this by now.

"A-ah, Tino, it's nice to see you too...!" I muster up a smile, despite the recent death of Nonno, and gently pry him off. "Who's that person holding Emil's hand, though?"

"Oh, he's Lukas. He normally doesn't come to these." Tino looked back at the group, flashing them a small smile before turning back to me. "The last time he came to one of those was when you were really little. Even now, he's withdrawn, so I wouldn't expect to see him around all that often."

"Really? I want to go talk to him." I pick up another smile and start swimming over to 'Lukas'. He seems a little intimidating, but maybe he's nice...!

"Ciao, Signore Lukas!" I glance up at him, but he seems a little stiff. Maybe Tino was right about him being withdrawn.

"U-um...how exactly do you know my name?" It seemed to be all he could stutter out. 

"Oh, your friend Tino told me! So I guess that you're not new or a Changer..." What if he was a Changer, though? I was accepting of them-lots of people in my tribe were, in fact-though that normally wasn't the case for Scandinavian merfolk. Lukas's face contorted into one that showed that he was uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. "O-oh, right. I'm so used to Changers living here in my tribe, I guess I keep forgetting about how merfolk here don't like them..."

"No, no, I'm okay with Changers. I just find them strange." Lukas shook his head. "Just...I-I need to go somewhere." Bubbles flashed in my eyes as he swam off, his indigo tail and fins looking like a blur.

'He is fast, that's for sure...but what's up with him? If I don't find out soon, I might never get a chance to talk to him again. And after that, I still have the responsibilities of my tribe...what am I supposed to do?'


	3. Crosses

It's been at least a week since we've all settled here, but I still feel uncomfortable around the people that have been living here for years. Is it because I'm in charge, now that Nonno's...

No, no, stop thinking about that. You'll only start crying again. And then Lovino might yell at you. I can't be weak anymore, I have to be strong for my tribe, and my brothers especially. If I die, Marcello will take over. Maybe I should teach him about how to lead, once I get the hang of it.

Oh, who am I kidding, that's never going to happen.

A soft hand on my arm stops me in my thoughts. Looking up, I can see that it's Madeline. "Oh, ciao, signorina Madeline. Is there something you need?" I can feel hot tears pooling in my eyes and my vision is clouding, so I blink away the tears.

"A-ah, I was wondering if I could take you on a tour of these waters. I'm sort of new here anyway, I've only been here for a few years, so I want to prove that I'm worth something." I remember now; merfolk in North American waters tend to be seen as untrustworthy and essentially a displeasure. No wonder she wants to help out.

"I've been going here for as long as I can remember, Madeline, mi dispiace." Her face falls and the small sparkle fades from her violet eyes. It makes me feel guilty. "But I know some of the guppies that haven't been here for a while, maybe you could show them the place! So long as it's okay with their mothers..."

Madeline's face lights up again, and I'm glad. "Okay, merci, Feliciano." She smiles and swims off, her lavender tail strongly propelling her to the makeshift nursery we set up. And, seeing my chance, I grab a small bag from my bed, glancing inside. The cross is still there, and I'm glad. I swing the strap of the bag over my shoulder and swim off, keeping my eye out for any shiny things that humans might have dropped.

\- 

It's been a few minutes until I see a merman around Marcello's age--or maybe younger?--searching in-between rocks, seaweed, and coral. Maybe he lost something. "Um, excuse me!" I wave to him.

He turns around, glancing at me with a blank stare. "You're Feliciano, aren't you?" His royal purple tail swishes, and he continues to search between some boulders.

"Si, I am. I'm not sure who you are, though..."

"Emil. You know who Lukas is, correct?" He looks back at me, and I nod. "I'm his older brother. I'm looking for something he lost."

"Oh! Can I help?"

"I don't think he would trust someone he barely knows with finding it." Emil shrugs. "Sorry."

"No, no, it's alright..." I nod and swim off. Does he not trust me, or is it just my tribe in general? I've never seen him before, so maybe it's just because he's not used to seeing us...

-

I end up wandering outside of the tribe to see what looks like...I'm not entirely sure, but there's definitely magic at play. It doesn't feel like the magic back at home, though. There's a curtain made up of kelp, so I push through it. My eyes end up widening in surprise.

There's air here, first of all. I can feel that there's magic holding some of the water back, so I'm forced to switch to my lungs to breathe. I can still easily swim around. And there are small sparkles floating in the air, all different types of colors. I can hear a small tune being hummed, and I can assume that it's the sparkles.

The walls are lined with shelves upon shelves of plants, bottles--filled and empty--and small translucent cubes, with something that seems similar to the colored sparkles inside. Most of the stuff I can barely identify. I can definitely feel strong surges of magic in here.

Something shiny in one of the shelves catches my eye, and I swim over to it. Picking up the shiny object, I twirl it around in my hands, inspecting it. It looks like it's made out of gold, and it's in the shape of a cross. It's not like the cross I have in my bag, but more like a symbol of something I've seen humans believe in before. I think it represents a man dying...humans are so weird.

I look around to make sure no one followed me in before hastily putting the cross inside of my bag, accidentally knocking one of the cubes off of the shelf. Once I grab it to put it back up, it starts softly glowing. A warm feeling surges through me, and I feel...relaxed. Maybe this is some kind of spell to calm merfolk.

"So you're the one in here. I knew I couldn't trust Italian merfolk..." I hear someone grumble behind me, and Lukas is standing in the kelp curtain. 

"L-Lukas-!! A-ah, I'm sorry, I-I didn't know that this was /your/ place I can just leave right away--" I'm cut off by Lukas swimming over, faster than I've seen any merman--or merfolk in general, for that matter--and swiping the cube from me. 

"Were you trying to steal my charms?"

"What?! No, no! I found this cross thing on one of the shelves and I was going to put it in my bag when it fell and I picked it up and--"

"Bremse ned, for faen!" Lukas yelling shuts me up immediately. He takes a deep breath, seeming to calm down. His voice is much softer now, so I relax. "I'm sorry, I just...you were talking too fast. Did you say something about a cross?" 

I nod. "Si, I found it on the shelf, and I accidentally--"

"Give the cross to me. I need it."

'Why would he need it...?' Hesitantly, I take the cross out of my bag and place it in Lukas' palm. He smiles lightly, and he pushes the cross into his hair, holding back part of it.

"Just please, stay out of here unless I tell you you can come in. Scandinavian magic is very different from Mediterranean magic, so I would be careful." Lukas swims out, the end of his indigo tail the last thing I see before he disappears. I glance back down at the cube--he called that a 'charm', right? Maybe I should ask him about it...--and put it back on the shelf, swimming out as well.

'At least he's somewhat looking out for me, right?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was longer than I intended it to...oops?


	4. Broken Trust

"Feliciano, I'm serious. I wouldn't go in there until you're used to the magic around here." Emil's purple eyes bore into mine, looking serious for once. "I know you were only exploring, but Lukas is...territorial about that area. I'm surprised that he didn't threaten to curse you to wash up on land." He sees that I stiffen at the thought, and he sighs. "Either way, at least now you know. He's only done that to invaders, by the way." Emil turns his tail on me and swims back to the tribe.

"He said that he was surprised he didn't curse me to wash up on land...are we as bad as invaders to him?" I sigh. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid again...yeah, that's probably it. I don't have anything to worry about, right?" I start slowly swimming back to the tunnel entrance when a loud groan, followed by Italian cursing that makes me stiffen even more. "Lovino...?"

A flash of purple whizzes by me, and I see the last of Madeline's tail swimming closer to the shore, following the voice. Both curious and afraid at the same time, I have to follow her. Is Lovino in trouble? Could I have done something to stop this? What can I even do? Oh, please don't tell me he's been washed up...

-

My eyes widen further when I see red starting to flow through the water. It's blood, nonetheless. Following the trail of blood, I bite my tongue so I don't scream. "Fratello, per favore, what happened?!"

There's a large harpoon buried deep into Lovino's green-golden tail, and Madeline's tail is wrapped around his, trying to pull him far enough away so the harpoon won't be there anymore. Blood is pooling out of my older brother, and part of the harpoon is stained a dark red. 

"Feliciano, please, you need to help somehow!" Lovino turns to me, and I can see pure fear in his eyes. The brother that I've looked up to ever since I was born. His life is in danger now. He's never let it show that he's scared, ever, but now...? He groans in pain, and Madeline pulls him back harder. 

"Feliciano, you need to get back to the tribe. Alert some of the leaders, and bring Lukas along if you can. He might be able to help."

"But Lukas won't even look at me, Madeline! How can I convince him to come with?!"

"Just trust me, okay? Bring Arne, if you can. That might be able to help." Sucking in a breath, I nod, and swim as fast as I can back to the tribe. Maybe doing this can help me earn Lukas' trust back.

-

"Wait, Feliciano!" Tino stops me in my tracks, and his eyes are wide in surprise and confusion. "Vitun helvetti, why are you going so fast?"

"Tino, Lovino's been harpooned. Madeline told me to bring Arne and Lukas along, but I know that Lukas isn't gonna even look at me! Please, you have to bring them!" After a short pause, Tino bites the inside of his cheek and nods, swimming off.

He comes back with Arne and Lukas a minute or so later, and Lukas has a small bag similar to mine. It looks like whatever's inside is glowing. Perhaps some of the charms?

"We came as quickly as we could, Feli, don't worry. Lukas'll make sure Lovino doesn't get pulled up." Arne puts a hand on my shoulder and flashes me a smile, although it's weak and I can tell there's still worry and fear in his eyes.

"We're going to go now, unless you want your brother to become a corpse used solely for human enjoyment." Lukas doesn't even bother to look at me when he swims off with Arne, and, desperate to see Lovino again, I follow him.

I can tell that the situation hasn't gotten better while we were gone, but Madeline seems relieved to see Lukas. Arne pulls me back, and I'm tempted to bite his arm so I can try to comfort Lovino. I don't, though. That would get me kicked out in an instant.

"How come I have to stay back?"

"Didn't Lukas tell you how different the magic here is from your tribe's magic?" Arne glances over to me, blinking. "This stuff is powerful, Feli. Merfolk that aren't directly using it and not used to it could get hurt, even if the magic has to do with healing. Madeline is staying here because she's used to the magic around here."

I want to fight back, to tell him that I don't care and that I want to help my brother, and I won't care even if I get hurt so long as Lovino is safe, but I can't. I'm a leader now. I have to be mature about this. So I cross my arms and wait, staring at my tail. "I just wanted to help..." I mumble under my breath. Arne doesn't hear me.

It's a few painful, painful minutes, with cursing in both Italian and Norwegian, pain-filled groans from Lovino, and the occasional "You're going to be fine, stop struggling" from Lukas, until I see the harpoon released from Lovino's tail, and the puncture wound on his tail has a thin scar over it. Arne lets me go, and I swim over to Lovino, hugging him tightly.

"Lovino, per favore, I was so scared, I thought you were gonna be pulled up to shore and then killed and then have to see /humans/ every day--"

"Si, si, I know, but I'm here now. It's fine." Lovino pats the top of my head. "Let's just get back to the tribe. Lukas says that I need to rest."

"A-ah, right..." I look up at Lukas, hoping that he'll talk to me. He just stares at me for a moment and turns away, swimming back to the tribe. 'He's never gonna talk to me again, is he...?'


End file.
